


Connections

by loisselina (LoisSelina)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst with a Happy Ending, Charming Family (Once Upon a Time), Charming Family Feels (Once Upon a Time), Daddy Charming, De-Aged Emma Swan, Family, Family Angst, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Parent Prince Charming | David Nolan, Parent Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Protective Parent Prince Charming | David Nolan, S3 AU, Sick Fic, also like my kiddo fic emma will probs stay a kid, and fluff, and shes gonna stay deaged ngl, because of who i am as a person, just cause, maybe some portals and more angst, neals going to have a different name as og neal didnt die, protective parent Snow White| Mary Margret Blanchard, theres gonna be some angst, this will probably end up being a
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoisSelina/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: After getting involved in a magical Fight Club Emma's magic deages her, with no hopes of turning her back and the pressure of a new baby the family has to figure out their new normal.
Relationships: Prince Charming | David Nolan & Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard & Emma Swan
Comments: 38
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> accidentally making yet another wip because i have no time and nothing else to do 
> 
> lemme know what you think on twitter:   
> @loboselinaff 
> 
> and tumblr:   
> @loboselinaistrash  
> @loboselinafanfiction

Emma was in a bad mood. She had been in a bad mood for days, nearly a week in fact, since Henry had recovered his memories and she had told him that she still wanted to go back to New York, what followed was the biggest fight they had ever gotten in and Henry had decided to move back into the Mills’ house and began to split his time between catching up with Regina and with Neal, who had an apartment which had been gifted to him by his father.

Emma hadn’t expected his memories to return so soon, she hadn’t expected them to come back at all, she had hoped they could defeat the Wicked Witch without that curse breaking. 

But they had defeated her, Henry remembered all and was mad at her, and she was back in the loft with David and a very pregnant Mary Margaret, who now went by Snow, apparently. It was the sight of her mother, pregnant, moving on, having another chance, which had made her so anxious to leave. 

The return of Henry’s memories had also resulted in the last of her fake memories of raising him disappearing, along with any fake abilities, which was largely her ability to cook anything. She was angry and unsettled, she felt like a tiger in a too small cage, condemned to only being able to pace, to not even be able to properly rage. 

She settled on smaller destructions inside of the loft, when she got distracted and had practically cremated her poptart inside of the toaster she dismantled the entire toaster in order to scrub it off, the toaster was now broken but neither Snow nor David had said a word.    
She was trying her best not to lose it at her parents, she didn’t know what for; because she had lost Henry? Because she was now trapped in the town? If she left she would be alone? None of these were actually her parents fault, but the last reason was- because they were expecting a new baby, and she hadn’t had enough time with them on her own.

Night time was when it was worse, night time made the roads out of time seem closer, and she found herself getting into her car and driving to the spray painted line warning of the crossing. It was at night where Mary- no,  _ Snow _ , seemed to talk more about the new baby, David watched her more, she hated every second of it. 

She had told her parents that she was helping out at the station, although David was once again the sheriff he was currently taking maternity leave, other people like Prince Thomas has taken on the role of deputies, Emma hadn’t even bothered to go in and pretend to help out, it was an excuse to keep Snow from worrying, should she realise that Emma wasn’t home most nights. 

Instead she had first driven to bars, places where Snow and David’s friends wouldn’t even thought about existing, sure she had been the sheriff, but she was also the same runaway she had been a decade earlier. 

Regina had told her that she was too busy between spending time with Henry and with her boyfriend (and the new Storybrooke park ranger) Robin to teach her at the moment, and there was no threat which made her learning urgent. 

But there were plenty of magic users in the town, and soon she had found herself being drafted into a sort of magical Fight Club, she had always found that she learnt best through doing it. So night after night she would drive to the forest clearing along with a variety of other magicians, who were dressed in any sort of clothing from pyjamas, to goth, to punk, to millennial pink Kawaii style, it was a group of outcasts, and Emma felt as though she might actually have found someplace she could fit in. 

But she wasn’t looking for a place to fit in so much as a place where she could unleash her anger. Her magic was tied so closely to her emotions that by unleashing it she could actually win the battle and would be able to survive until the next restless night. 

Wednesday night was no different. 

Her parents had spent literally hours debating what would be better for the baby, disposable or cloth diapers, both had tried to involve her but not for her actual opinion just because she was there, she had escaped to her room, but as her parents had switched rooms with her before she had even come home she was only divided from the living quarters with a curtain, she could still clearly hear the conversation, even when she blasted music into her ears with her headphones on. 

She hadn’t been able to take it, she left for her ‘shift’ hours earlier than usual, she had driven to the Rabbit Hole, downed several Jacks and cokes, then followed a familiar group to the clearing and waited to the umpire to match her with someone to fight. 

It was ten at night by the time she finally got matched, she shrugged off her leather jacket then stood rolling her shoulders and evaluating her opponent. He was a solid looking man a little shorter than her father, he had a head which would have been shinning bald had it not been for the fuchsia Mohawk so tall that it had to have been held up by magic, he was in leath so worn it was no longer shiny but looked dusty and almost like suade, he was covered in tattoos and piercings, and looked as though he should have spent several life terms in prison, but he was smiley, laughed every single time Emma had seen him, and he seemed to be genuinely nice. Emma didn’t blame him for cultivating his appearance in order to put off people from talking to him. She decided that she liked him a lot. 

Despite liking him she would still end up hurting him, she was wound so tight, the magic danced in her blood like fire licking a hand, she needed to unleash it. And they all knew the risks of being involved in this club, there were magic users there who could heal nearly any spell anyway, so it wasn’t like she would really hurt him, okay she would, but not for very long. 

She let him fire off a few spells first, she held her hands up throwing up shields so effective that she had knocked him down without even meaning to. She then began to fire off spells, it was like a boxing match, small jabs and hard swings, only instead of fists Emma was using her magic. She knew she shouldn’t be using quite so much magic, she had outdone herself the first few times she had done this and had ended up having to sleep into her car, but she was just so mad, at everything, at the facts that this was her life. None of it was fair. 

She was just raising her hands to fire off another spell, when the bells chimed through the clearing, alerting them all to the intruders who would be there any minute, that didn’t stop her from throwing her back into the spell. 

She heard both Thomas and Robin along with some voices she didn’t recognise, but her eyes were on her opponent, as she let out her magic from her fingertips she felt like a blown fuse, like she had over done it, she should have just slumped to the ground, or felt exhausted, but instead she was thrown the ground, skidding in the dirt on her back until her head finally hit a rock. It was then that she knew something was seriously wrong. 

Then she passed out. 

* * *

David yawned as he poured himself the dregs of the coffee from the maker, he heaped in spoons of sugar, then added enough creamer that it would be consumable. He had not grown up with coffee, only tea was available to people as poor as himself and his mother, and even now decades later and a world away he couldn’t stand the bitter taste on its own. 

He took a sip and let out a content sigh. He felt two arms slip around his waist, he needn’t have turned his head to know it was his wife, he turned to see her anyway. She was frowning a little at the fact that she could not hug him as close as usual with the prominent bump protruding from her front. He couldn’t help but give a little smirk of a smile, he turned and kissed her frown away. 

“I didn’t hear you getting out of the bath, you should have let me know I could have helped you out.”

“I’m pregnant, not injured, I can get out of the tub myself… Just.” She added the last bit under her breath but David heard it anyway, he let out a laugh and she narrowed her eyes playfully. She glanced at the coffee mug in his hand, then her eyes flickered to the several files on the kitchen table, before returning her gaze to him. “You should come to bed.”

“I will soon.” 

“You’re on paternity leave, you shouldn’t have to do paperwork.”

“Some of the probies have no idea how to write up paperwork, it’s almost as bad as when Emma’s bothers to.” Not that she had been handing any in recently, he kept meaning to talk to either her or Thomas about that but the idea gave him an uneasy feeling like there was something off about it, he didn’t know why but it made him put it off. “If I do it now it means I don’t have to do any when the baby gets here, and even less when I go back to work.” He kissed her forehead where her frown line lay, it smoothed once again. 

“Promise me you’ll come to bed soon?”

“I promise.” He pulled her into a kiss, melting into her as he didn’t. 

It was maybe ten minutes after Snow went up to bed and David had settled back to his paperwork that his cellphone rang. As soon as he saw Thomas’ name he knew that he was about to break his promise to Snow. 

“Thomas?” He didn’t bother with pleasantries, it was too late and he was already regretting picking up the phone as it was, he wasn’t about to drag it on any longer than 

“David, stay calm, but I’m going to need you to get down to the hospital.” 

David stood up so quickly that his chair scraped loudly across the wooden floor. “Don't tell me to stay calm, what is it? Is it Emma? Did something happen on duty?” He could hear his own voice getting louder and more panicked but he was powerless to stop it. 

“David-”

“Thomas,” David growled into the cell as he looked around trying to find his boots so he could get to the hospital.

“It’s Emma - but she’s okay! I promise David, she’s okay, it’s just, I can’t explain over the phone-”

David realised he was met with a choice: either he could continue trying to grill an answer from Thomas or just heading to the hospital that very second. 

He scooped up his car keys and headed out the door. 

* * *

It was a mere ten minutes later that he had made it to the hospital, parked his truck, and was being led from the entrance through the hospital by a very nervous looking probie who was refusing to tell him what was going on. 

Thomas walked out from a private room into David’s path. 

“I swear to god, Thomas, if you don’t tell me what’s going on with my daughter you’re going to end up needing a bed here.” He growled, keeping his voice low, though he doubted anyone would care about a prince being threatened by another prince. 

Thomas held up his hands in a placating gesture. “She’s okay, I promise, she’s right there, but… she’s changed a little, there’s a doctor and Mr Gold looking her over now.” 

David didn’t wait any longer, he pushed passed Thomas, barging him with his shoulder so hard that Thomas had to take a step back so he wouldn’t be pushed into the wall. 

David halted in his steps by the time he was halfway inside of the room, standing on the other side of the room was Mr Gold and carefully watching him was Robin in his brand new park ranger’s uniform. He could feel Thomas following close behind, he almost turned to the other man to ask where the hell his daughter was, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the hospital bed. 

There was a young girl, a toddler, in the hospital bed wearing a hospital robe with some cartoon dogs printed all over it. She had light blonde hair and an angry expression on her face, she was glaring at Gold with her arms crossed over her chest, and her bottom lip ever so slightly protruding which took away from the heat in her eyes. She looked…. 

He managed to tear his eyes away from the girl to the Dark One who was staring at him as though waiting for him to put something together. David narrowed his eyes at him then looked back at the girl who was still glaring so hard at Gold that she hadn’t noticed David staring at her. He heard Thomas try to talk to him but he didn’t hear the words, he was too busy watching the girl as she turned to look at David, her eyes wide, the anger faded and was replaced with fear and vulnerability. 

“David.”

That was all it took for David to realise that the little girl  _ was _ Emma. 

It took only a couple of strides for him to reach her, he pulled her into his arms and cradled the back of her head, his hand had always been able to cradle her head but now it greatly dwarfed it. They stayed like that for minutes, tears stung his blue eyes as he held her, closing his eyes at the same time for fear that if he opened them he would find that he was dreaming. 

He finally opened them, and when he looked down at the little girl clinging to him he found that it was still Emma. He had never seen a picture of her as a child but it was so clear to him that’s who she was, she always looked like a mix between him and Snow, but even more so now she was so young, before she had grown into her own face. 

He didn’t want to but he had to let go of her, he kept his hands on her shoulders as he looked her over, she had a few scrapes, she looked a little singed without being burnt, and she looked exhausted, maybe a little ashen as though she was sick. But she was okay. 

He turned his head to look at Gold while keeping his hands on Emma’s shoulders. The glee on his face and the confusion over what had happened filled David’s veins with anger. “What the hell’s going on? Did you do this?”

Gold raised his eyebrows. “No, don’t try to blame me for your daughter’s stupid mistake, that’s thanks to your genes.” 

Had David’s hands been free they would have curled into fists and either been held stiffly at his side or would have punched the man. “What the hell are you on about?” 

The man stared at David and Emma with a challenge in his eyes, David could see the truth in his eyes. 

He turned his face to his daughter instead. “Emma?”

Emma looked away from David, her eyes were trained on the stupid gown they had put her in because her other clothes no longer fit. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and thanks to the change in her body she was about a second away from crying. She chose to become angry instead.    
“He won’t turn me back!” She shouted, her hand pointing at Gold, she tried not to wince when she realised how childish that sounded, everything had sounded childish in the stupid child’s voice which matched this body, but the accusation came out as a particularly childish thing. 

David frowned looking down at his daughter who wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

“We’ve been investigating a group of people using the forest to practice dangerous magic, Gina tracked it and we put together a group of park rangers and cops to take it down.” Robin told David. 

“It was a kind of magical fight club.” Thomas interjected. “We got there just in time to see your daughter facing off against a biker - she fired a spell off and, I don’t know, she got a blowback or something, the other guy didn’t do a thing, it was.” The prince shrugged. 

“She blew a fuse. Literally.” Gold was examining his finger nails trying his best to look unaffected and uncaring, but was too interested in the pure aberration of magic which had just happened. “I’m guessing she’s been using her magic too much for too long and…” He gestured towards Emma with a vague hand gesture. 

“So just turn me back.” Emma was staring up at Gold once more, she was glaring but there were tears shining in her eyes. 

“It’s not that simple and it’s not even slightly possible, dearie.” 

“You just said it was like I blew a fuse, you can change fuses!” She raised her voice again. 

“I said it was  _ like _ changing a fuse, you can’t do the same for a human.”

David sucked in a breath, he let go of Emma , crossing his arms over his chest. He watched Gold, the man was tricky but he was not lying, and David didn’t know what the hell else to do now. 

”Now, as you’re clearly not in any need of magical help which I or anyone else can provide I will be going home to my bed, I suggest you all do the same.” He started out of the door but stopped when he reached it he turned to look back at the room for a second. “Though Miss Swan will be needing a much smaller bed.” 

Emma stood up on the bed and was about to launch herself off of it at The Dark One when a 

“Sit down, you’ll badly hurt yourself if you fall from this height.” David told her sounding distracted which was exactly what he was. “And I doubt that you want to spend the night stuck in here with a bump on the head.” He placed her back onto the bed once Gold had left.

“I’ve talked to Regina, she said she’ll go to your place tomorrow to talk to you all, she’ll see if there’s anything she can do but...” Robin tailed off with a shrug. 

“Why can’t she do it now? I’m not going to spend the night like this!”

David scrubbed his hand over his face. God he was tired. “It’s late, we can go over this tomorrow.” He told the rest of the room. 

“But-” 

David held his hand up and he must have looked tired enough that it actually stopped Emma from talking. “-We’ll figure this out tomorrow. Emma, what…?” He shook his head this time at himself. “No, Emma none of us know anything about this right now, people need time to figure out what’s going on, and it’s the middle of the night. We all need sleep, you included.” 

“ _ David _ -” 

“ _ Emma. _ For once just listen to your father, please?” He tried his best to add humour to his voice but he sounded too tired and weary for it to work.

Emma sank back against the hospital bed. She wrapped her arms around herself.

David stared at her for a second. “I’m going to talk to a doctor, see if you can come home. Tom.” He nodded his head towards the door to lead his friend out. 

* * *

“David I swear I didn’t know how to tell you this over the phone.” 

“Yeah.” David sighed. He suddenly didn’t feel quite so pissed that Thomas had refused to tell him what was going on. 

“David. I think The Dark One was telling the truth.” 

“Thom-” 

“ _ David.  _ I know both you and my cousin are always believing in the impossible… but I really think that he was telling the truth.” 

“I know!” He looked around at the nurses who were staring at him and realised that he had raised his voice, he lowered it again and looked apologetically at his friend. “I know, I just,” he sighed yet again, “we just need to know what happened, we need time. This all happened so suddenly.” He looked through the door window at Emma who looked so young and so small in the hospital bed. 

“She was in a  _ fight club _ ?” His eyebrows were 

“A magical fight club.” 

David gave a loud sigh then a sardonic chuckle. “At least she’s small enough that I can actually ground her now.”

“If Snow doesn’t kill her.” 

“She won’t, she might kill you though.” 

“I didn’t do anything!” 

“You’re her cousin and you were there.” David smirked. “Speaking of, I need you to ring her, tell her what happened while I’m signing Emma out and taking her home, I’m guessing she doesn’t need to stay?”

“Doctor Whale said she didn’t need to- why am I being blamed, I was barely there, and I couldn’t have done anything!” 

“Try telling your  _ very pregnant _ cousin that.” He watched Thomas roll his eyes. “Please call her for me, I can’t spring this on her, she didn’t even know I left the loft, and if she sees Emma like this there’s a possibility she’ll freak out or she’ll overreact and Emma will react badly.”    
He loved his wife but he knew that she could be rather full on, and Emma didn’t react well to that, she hadn’t when the first curse had broken, and he doubted she would now. Thomas hesitated but nodded and headed towards the exit to make the phone call, and David headed to the nurse’s desk to talk to them and make sure he actually  _ could _ take her home.

* * *

Emma didn’t know how long she was alone in the room with Robin, he must have picked up on the fact that she didn’t feel like talking because he didn’t try to talk to her or try to pressure her to speak.

She found herself staring at her hands, they looked nearly the same as they had the day before, to her they didn’t look any smaller but that made sense she guessed, the difference was that there were no longer lines where they had recently been, there was a cut on her hand which had faded to a tiny scar a long time ago, and her tattoo which she had inked on her since she was barely an adult was gone, which meant she wasn’t simply shrunk, she really had been forced into her three year old self’s body, just like Gold said. 

Which meant he could be right about her not being able to turn back. And that it was all her fault. 

She heard the footsteps as Robin left the room, and despite the fact they hadn’t spoken she felt very alone, in this too big room.

“A nurse said that you can have these, they have spares.” 

Emma looked up at David’s voice, she finally noticed that he was looking tired, his hair mussed as it always was at the end of the night, he was holding up a pair of white cotton pyjamas with simple rainbows they looked impossibly small in his hands, there was no way that she would fit into. He was speaking softly, kindly, as he had been for weeks. He hadn’t yet said a single thing about her causing this.    
“I can go?” 

“Yeah, they said I should keep an eye on you through the night, make sure you don’t have a concussion, but otherwise you’re free to go. You’ve got to come back in a week or so for a checkup.” 

“Why?... I don’t, I  _ won’t _ ... “ She bit her lip hard to stop the tears which had suddenly formed from rolling down her cheeks. Her voice lowered and broke. “You think I’m going to be still like this next week?” 

David sat down on the bed by her feet, letting the pyjamas drop onto his lap as he did, he reached out and brushed a stray tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I don’t know, kiddo, I really don’t. But we’re going to try, I swear, and if we can’t then we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” 

She gave a little laugh as she looked up and saw his sincerity but also the serious look on his face which told her that he was trying to make her laugh. “‘Kay.” She mumbled, she had already gone nine rounds with Gold before David had gotten there, she was too tired to fight anymore. At least not tonight. 

David handed her the pyjamas. “I’m going to stay in the room in case you need any help.” 

“I’m twenty nine.” 

“I know, but this new body might not be so good at fine motor skills, I’m here if you need me.” 

Emma slipped the pyjamas pants on before she ran into a problem. “Erm… David?” 

He turned from where he was pretending to read posters tacked onto the walls. He found Emma with the pyjama pants on under the gown, she had the shirt stuck as she had tried to pull it over her head. “Ah, yeah, here we go.” He undid the back of the gown taking it off of her, then carefully pulled the shirt over her head. 

As soon as it was over her blonde curls sprung up like coils. He couldn’t help but smile at that. Now that the shock was over he was able to take in his daughter as a young child for the first time, he desperately wanted to pull her in for another hug but that was stepping over that line she had drawn, and he didn’t think that they were there just yet. “Let’s go home.” 

“Mary- Snow’s going to…” Emma shook her head, she didn’t actually know what Snow would do or say, how she’d react. 

“Your mom will be okay, Thomas is telling her what happened, and we’ll have a talk tomorrow,” he checked the clock on the wall, “today, I guess. We just all need to get some sleep.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma comes home and Snow see's her daughter young for the first time

Snow was sat on one of the odd chairs at their wobbly kitchen table, there was a once steaming, now tepid, mug of earl gray in front of her, but her eyes were firmly on the door, her fingers laced together and resting on her bump. 

As soon as the door opened Snow shot up, or at least she stood as fast as an eight months pregnant lady could. It wasn’t a surprise that it was David and Emma entering, the rest of the town was asleep, and she had been waiting for them. 

Ordinarily she would have rushed over in seconds, less than seconds, but the sight forced her to stay still and take it in. She had prepared herself, tried to prepare herself, she had not been able to prepare herself. 

David was looking exhausted and wide awake, more awake than he could have become from the coffee he had been drinking that night, only shock could have woke him up so much. 

In his arms was a toddler, too small, being held on his hip, his chest against hers. She looked more tired than David, with her messy curls, her tired eyes numbed by the events of the night. One of her hands was holding onto David’s jacket but Snow was fairly certain that she hadn’t realised she was doing so. David’s plaid shirt he had been wearing that day was now wrapped around her, trying to keep her warm against the chilly night. Her other hand was balled into a fist as it came up to rub at her eyes. 

That stirred Snow into action, she had seen Emma try and wake herself up like that many times, both cursed and uncursed, the familiarity forced her brain to be able to accept the fact that this was very much still  _ her _ Emma. And her daughter needed her now more than ever. 

She got to David’s side just in time to hear Emma mumbled something about the stairs. 

David’s voice sounded as tired as he looked, but he was still trying to be calm and understanding, which made Snow fall even more in love with her husband. 

“The stairs are almost as big as you are right now, and there’s no way you could make it up all three flights, at least not in the next twenty four hours.”

Snow reached for Emma and took her into her arms before David could place Emma down or could even voluntarily hand her over. She felt so small in Snow’s arms, and she had that baby smell still, the one she had been looking forward to smelling on her second baby. Her blonde hair was curled the same as adult Emma’s was, it fell in ringlets the same as Snow’s did whenever she bothered to allow it to grow out. Snow always loved Emma’s golden locks, it made her think of a fairy tale book princess, but it was better because  _ Emma _ was better. 

She was surprised to find Emma’s tiny hands holding onto her robe, it broke her heart knowing that Emma was distressed enough to seek comfort, the fact that she had to be very distressed was even more upsetting. Snow moved back to her seat, Emma didn’t move her head from hiding against Snow, so Snow automatically began to rock ever so slightly in order to try and comfort her more. Part of her hoped that Emma would fall asleep, even if she was desperate for answers. 

She looked up at David’s sigh as he dropped into the chair beside her own. It wasn’t out of anger, or annoyance, it was an accidental sigh which escaped his mouth from the movement of sitting down. “Did you drive home?” She asked, she could feel a crease stitch itself between her brows. 

“Yeah.” He stole a sip of her tea and winced at the cold taste where it did not belong. “She fit in the baby’s carseat, just about, don’t worry.” 

Snow was suddenly relieved that she had ordered one for each of their cars, though if Emma was going to be spending any time in their cars she would definitely need one which was the correct size for her. She almost shook her head at her own thought process, the facts that her daughter might be like this, it was a mixture of emotions, fear over losing the daughter and friend she had known during and since the curse, and the feeling that this was what she had expected her life to be like when she had first found out about Emma, just in a twisted way. 

When Emma’s hold on her loosened ever so slightly Snow forced herself to pull back to look Emma over, Thomas had filled her in on everything the doctor had said, but despite the fact that Thomas was her cousin and she wasn’t going to believe the information until she could confirm it herself. 

There were a few cuts and scrapes, some discolourations under her skin which Snow knew meant that bruises would be in their place within a day or two. She gently placed her hand on the back of Emma’s head, feeling the bump at the same time Emma winced and let out a whine at the action without meaning to. “Sorry.” She told her automatically, all in all Emma seemed to be okay, other than the fact she had lost a quarter of a century’s worth of years. 

“The doctor said she should be okay, they said to keep an eye on her overnight just to be sure, I figured it would be best for her to share our bed with you, just for tonight,” he added for Emma but was surprised when she didn’t protest, she was wiggling a little though, “I’ll take the armchair.” 

Snow nodded slowly, she didn’t want her husband having to sleep in an armchair but knew why he was saying that he would, there was no way he was about to let Emma out of his sight after this, but he knew that Emma didn’t accept them fully as her parents.   
Mary could ignore this on grounds of having shared a bed with Emma during their roommates days when both had fallen asleep mid movie, but she didn’t know David that well, even less since she had come back from New York and had pushed them both away. She had been so distant recently, they had been giving her time, if they hadn’t perhaps this would not have happened. 

“What happened?” She asked finally, her eyes on her daughter, an iron stare. 

“Snow,” David’s voice was full of warning, “why don’t we leave this until the sun’s up.” 

“Dav-”

“Please?” 

Snow stopped her rebuttal when she heard Emma’s tiny and desperate voice. She let out a sigh but nodded her head. 

“I need to pee.” 

Snow’s eyes opened wider hearing Emma sounding a little surprised, she didn’t understand why until she realised she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it down from Snow’s lap. “Oh, of course.” She placed her daughter down onto the floor, David’s shirt slipped into a heap at her feet, but she frowned before Emma could move. “Do you need help?” 

Emma’s face scrunched up to a grumpy half glare. “No! I’m not five!” She stomped over to the bathroom and shut the door before either of her parents could say a word.

* * *

“No, you’re three.” David mumbled as he heard the slam of the bathroom door. He held his head in his hands, slowly wiping his own eyes awake too. 

“She needs to figure that out herself.” Snow said but was finding it hard to not go and help Emma despite her insistence. She reached out and squeezed David’s hand, forcing him to look at her. “Has she been like this the whole time?” 

“The arguing or the whole clingy toddler thing?” 

“Either. Both.” 

“She was mostly angry, but I think she got the worst of it out of her before I got there, at Gold. She’s been pretty clingy, understandably upset, once she seemed to accept what Gold told her.” 

“Tom said that he thinks Gold’s telling the truth.” She watched David nod slowly. “There must be a way, we’ll talk to Regina, we’ll ask Gold nicely-.” 

“Snow,” David squeezed his wife’s hand, quietening her, “Robin talked to Regina, I talked to Gold, there isn’t a way to turn her back, I want to ask them both to look, to search for a way, but…” He shook his head. “I’m not magical, I grew up away from any hints of magic, but it seemed, I don’t know, right? Her body changed in order to save her life. I want the other her back too, but I think we have to prepare for the possibility we might not be able to.

Snow was perfectly still for a minute as she digested his words. Finally she nodded, once, twice. “Perhaps Regina will explain it more to all of us tomorrow, Thomas said that Gold seemed to find fun in winding Emma up.” David’s grunt of agreement came out too much like a growl and Snow smiled despite herself at his protective father instinct. 

There was a beat of silence, both straining to listen to Emma in the bathroom, there was no noise but they weren’t sure whether that was good or bad.

“What the hell was she doing in a  _ fight club _ ?” His voice came out raw. “They may have been using magic instead of fists, but that only makes it worse. I know she wasn’t happy with everything with Henry and with, with everything, but...” He shook his head hoping to dislodge the lump which was forming in his throat. 

“She’s been through a lot.” Snow’s voice was low but it was laced with hurt. “We kept expecting her to run, we didn’t, we couldn’t predict she would do this, she, I should have talked to her about it, should have made her after she broke the toaster. I don’t know.” She ended with a sigh. 

They sat there for another minute before Snow stood up, her hand took from David and rested on her stomach without even thinking about it. “I’m going to check on her.” 

* * *

  
  


The second Emma’s bare feet touched the frozen tile of the bathroom she had regretted leaving it until the last minute to pee. 

Only seven seconds after that she regretted not accepting Snow’s help. 

It was easy enough to pull down the pyjama pants, getting onto the toilet was a hell of a lot harder, she had to pull herself up until she was kneeling precariously on the toilet seat, her gifted childish pyjama pants had dropped to the ground out of her reach, she managed to turn so she was sat properly just in time. 

She held onto the sides of the toilet seat so tight that her white knuckles were almost jumping out of her skin. She was filled with an irrational fear of falling into the toilet and being sucked down into the sewers, deep into an underground city from which she would be forced to escape. She knew it was irrational. But the fear did not care, so she clung on regardless. 

When she was done she twisted to reach for the toilet paper, the holder had long since broken like most things in the loft so it was on the lid of the toilet, but as soon as it was in her hand it slipped, she tried to reach for it but her fingers closed around the last square of paper, the rest of the roll went flying until Emma was holding one end of a toilet bunting which ended underneath the claw footed bathtub. 

“Shit.” She squeezed her eyes shut as she let slip the swear. She let the square of paper fall to the floor, it was useless holding it one handed, and the fear of her one arm giving way and her falling down the toilet was stronger than her stubbornness. 

There was a small rap on the clouded glass window of the bathroom door closest to the kitchen and before she could do anything other than open her eyes Snow White entered the room, closing the door behind her. 

Snow took in the room in a second then moved to the stand, took a roll of toilet paper from the back then moved to Emma, she carefully lifted her off of the toilet, swiftly wiped her, then flushed the toilet.

As she was flushing it Emma pulled her pyjama pants back up, her cheeks were slightly flushed but this wasn’t her real body, didn’t feel like her real body, so she didn’t care as much as she might. And at least she hadn’t had to call her mother and ask for help. 

Snow looked down at her daughter before crouching and twisting the pants so they weren’t facing the wrong way, and pulled them up so they wouldn’t trip her up or fall down. She then looked towards the paper leading to underneath the bath. “We’ll leave that for your daddy to pick up.” 

“He’s  _ not _ my  _ daddy _ .” 

Snow looked back at Emma, her arms were now crossed over her chest and she was pouting, she was meant to look a little intimidating or angry, but it had little to no effect. Snow blinked, a frown flickering on then off of her face, taking in Emma’s words.    
“I meant to say your father, I’m used to talking to the bump, it was just a slip, Emma.” 

She moved slowly to pick Emma up, allowing her to protest if she wanted to, when she didn’t Snow picked her up, stood up with her in her arms, wobbling a little, then walked to the sink, she turned on the faucet so that Emma could wash her hands. “Emma, I know that this is all new and we are going to do our best to turn you back, but while you’re like this, however long it is, you need to accept help from us, from me and David, any of our friends or family.”

“I’m not used to getting help.” She admitted, drying her hands on the towel Snow had passed her. She also wasn’t used to having a family but she didn’t say that out loud. 

As though Snow had heard her unsaid words she told her “Well get used to it, you get your stubbornness from us, so get used to the fact that we’re not going anywhere.” 

Emma bit her lip then gave a small nod. “I annoyed David.” 

“You didn’t baby, you’ve worried him a lot though, we’re going to have a talk tomorrow though.” She leveled her with a look which Emma knew not to argue with. “How’s your head feeling?” 

“Fine.” She lied easily. “I’m just tired.” 

“Okay.” Snow hesitated before pressing a kiss onto Emma’s forehead, she could have sworn that her daughter leaned into it, so she carried her close as they left the bathroom. 

* * *

David met them outside of the bathroom and took Emma without word from Snow’s arms, he had already tried and failed to convince his wife it would be better for her, at least while pregnant, to keep their bedroom downstairs, but Snow had insisted on the upstairs bedroom, he wasn’t about to have both of his girls fall because his very pregnant very stubborn wife insisted on carrying the toddler upstairs. 

Emma was silent as she was carried upstairs, she was too tired to protest or even to think about the fact her dad was carrying her up to bed for the first time in her life, she was so tired that she ached from every bone. She felt numb as she was placed down onto the bed she could tell it was David’s side when her face turned into the pillow and could smell him there, a mix of his aftershave and the mint gum he would chew, and just him. 

Snow climbed in on her other side and she waited for David to nudge her more into the middle but when a little too much time passed she looked for him in the dim light of the room. He had pulled over the old style arm chair to the side of the bed, nearest to her, he had grabbed a quilt and was settling down, she opened her mouth to ask why he wasn’t sleeping in the bed with them, but then she remembered herself, she remembered her vow to keep them at a distance. But he was watching her, he had seen her open her mouth, she had to say something before he asked her. “Night.” She mumbled, letting her head drop onto the pillow again. 

“Night Emma.” Snow flicked the light off leaving them in darkness. 

“Good night, Em, sleep well.” 

David’s words echoed around her head as Emma drifted off to sleep, he was always so sincere yet never wanted to overstep and make her uncomfortable, even now he was like a knight guarding her, Snow’s words echoed around her head too: she had worried him a lot. She wondered if they would have been closer had she gotten to know him more during the first curse, or if he had raised her, or if they were destined to be like this.

* * *

  
  


David shot out of his chair even before his eyes had opened, he searched around with his eyes trying to see in the darkness, he searched the bed for signs of Emma as Snow switched on the light, Emma was not there. He let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding when he saw Emma in a lump at his feet, he crouched down as she was pushing herself to her sleep.

“‘S’okay, Em, you must have just fallen out, let’s get you back in.” He went to pick her up but she moved back before he could. 

“I didn’t fall.” 

David wasn’t sure that he would get used to Emma’s words coming out in the toddler’s voice; a flick of his eyes to his wife made him certain that she wasn’t sure she would either. He looked back at Emma, he was eye to eye with her even though he was crouched down, perhaps he was a little taller, she really was very short.    
“What do you mean?” He asked her patiently, though he was very aware that they had gotten maybe an hour of sleep, and he at least was desperate for more. 

“I was climbing down, but the stupid bed’s too high up, I was trying to get down, I need to pee.” 

David realised she was fidgeting again like she had when she was desperate before. 

“Emma there’s no way you can get up and down those stairs, especially at night.” Snow began to lecture as she climbed out of bed.

“Neither should you.” David told his wife pointedly. He scooped Emma up into his arms. “The last thing we want is for you to fall, one hospital trip a night for me is enough, thank you.” 

He carried Emma down the stairs letting his muscle memory tell him where the stairs were as his eyes got used to the lack of light downstairs. He flicked the lights on only when they made it to the bathroom.

He placed Emma down and was certain she was wincing a little at the light ahead, though it could possibly be in reaction to him crouching down to help her. “Emma I know this isn’t ideal but you’re going to need help, as much as you need. And that’s okay, you’re safe here with us, you know that, right?” His question was hesitant. 

And Emma knew that she was. Which was very different from many of the foster families she had spent time with. “I’m not good at accepting help.” 

The toddler voice forced Emma to sound ‘accepting’ out very carefully, he tried to focus on her actual words so he didn’t smile at that and cause her to get mad at him. “I didn’t used to be either, I guess I’m still not but I’m trying, can you try? For me?” 

A tentative and hopeful smile appeared on his face bringing a spark of light to his bagged blue eyes. She bit her lip but nodded her head. “I guess.” She paused for a second unable to look away from her father’s beaming smile then she realised she was fidgeting more, that she was looking like a child dancing because they needed to pee, which she decided was miles more embarrassing than asking him for help. “Can you…” 

“Sure.” Once she was ready David placed her onto the toilet, he was about to let go of her so he could fish the abandoned roll from under the tub when her shout froze him. 

“No!” She swallowed with embarrassment as he looked at her with fear. The early hours loosened her tongue. “I don’t want to fall in.”

It struck David as a very childish fear, and kind of impossible, well the going all the way down and disappearing was impossibly, falling so she was stuck inside was not so impossible considering how small she was. But he didn’t say any of that, instead he kept his hands on either of her sides, feeling her skinny ribs through her shirt, keeping her upright. 

He didn’t blink an eye at helping her with the rest of it, as he was helping her wash her hands he watched her carefully. It was easy to see his Emma on this Emma’s face, but there mixed in with the tiredness was something childish, something which could have been innocence, or naivety about the world, or perhaps just something which was still scared of monsters. He swallowed trying to rid himself of a lump in his throat. He needed to talk to Gold, to Regina, to a fairy, anyone who could have some understanding of this, someone who could tell him what the child’s expression hidden amongst the child’s face meant. 

Emma looked up at the mirror to see why David seemed to have frozen, but when she looked at it she caught sight of her unfamiliar face, and how it matched David’s in ways she had never noticed before, she had always assumed she looked more like Snow, but she could see both of them now. Undeniable proof that he was her father. 

“How’s your head.” 

“‘S fine.” Emma managed through a yawn. 

David carried her through to the kitchen, instead of heading up the stairs he flicked on a night light in the kitchen and headed to the cupboard above the fridge. He brought down three boxes: the first he discovered was a decades old cough medicine, he threw that into the trashcan, the second was a newer cough medicine, the third was the one he had been hoping for, a children’s medicine Snow had bought for Henry. 

“David.” Emma dragged his name out with a whine.

“Emma.” He copied exaggerating her whine ever so slight, he let out a chuckle when she hid her face into his shoulder. He read the back of the box for the correct dosage. “Come on. You need some medicine.” 

“I said my head was fine.” Emma realised she was whining again but was too tired to think about stopping doing so.

“You may have said that but you keep wincining when you think I’m not looking.” He sat her on the kitchen counter as he poured the spoonful. 

“It’s going to taste gross though.” 

David rolled his eyes good naturedly. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He stared at her until she opened her mouth and allowed him to give it to her, it took her a few seconds to swallow it, only when she had did he throw the spoon in the sink, not bothering to wash it up. 

Emma pulled a face at the taste, in second David was holding a glass tumbler of juice up to her mouth, she gulped down the taste of the cranberry and raspberry mix, allowing it to rid her mouth of the gross medicine. Before she knew it she was back in David’s arms, held on his hip as he started up the stairs once again. She would have to argue about it tomorrow, when she was less tired and raw.

“‘M never having the medicine again.” She mumbled as she was placed back into the bed. David fussed around her making sure she was warm enough but not stuck under the covers. 

“Uh huh.” David smirked, knowing that it would be a battle to get her to accept things when she wasn’t so tired, he was already tired just thinking about it. “Get some sleep, Sunshine.” He froze as though he was about to bend and kiss her forehead like Snow had the first time she had tucked Emma in, instead he just stroked his thumb over her cheek in lew of wiping something off of it. 

Emma wanted to stay awake suddenly, she wanted to spend more time with David, she barely knew him really, between the first curse, Neverland, and the Wicked Witch they hadn’t gotten to really know each other. She thought, in these twilight hours that she might want to get to know him, that she might want to stick around in Storybrooke, that she might have no choice over either of them.

She watched David settle back into the chair, watching her with tired eyes, fighting to stay awake as long as she was, then she felt her mother’s arm slip over her stomach, firm but not too heavy. 

She closed her eyes, and if she moved closer to her mother before she fell asleep, no one could prove it.

* * *

Another bump woke David several hours later, he shot up yet again, this time though all of his muscles protested, really he was getting too old to fall asleep sitting up. His eyes went to the bed where his wife and daughter had slept. 

They were gone. 

He glanced at the floor to make sure Emma hadn’t fallen again, she hadn’t. 

He ran towards the stairs and took them down two at a time. It became obvious what,  _ who, _ had woken him. Emma was at the bottom of the stairs, face down before she turned and sat herself up, wincing as she did so, then cringing when she caught sight of him. 

He slowed his feet in order not to kick her, instead when he got to the bottom step he stepped over her scanning her with his eyes to check for any obvious injuries. 

He heard the bathroom door open, when he looked he saw Snow hurrying out of the steamy bathroom, there was still shampoo in her hair, the bath towel was held tightly around her, she was holding tight onto it so it would stretch over her bump.    
“What happened!?” She asked, her voice loud as she looked between them expecting an answer.

“That’s what I would like to know.” David’s hands went to his hips as he looked down at his daughter. 

“I was just hungry, so I was coming to get some breakfast. I tripped down the last couple of stairs, I'm fine."

Snow let out a loud sigh which had hints of tiredness already. When she spoke her voice was soft yet disappointed. “We had this conversation last night, Emma.” 

“I can use the stairs on my own!” Emma shouted her voice fiery, Snow’s disappointment stung for reasons she was not willing to examine just yet.

“Obviously not.” David’s calm tone was like a fire extinguisher for her words. 

His intent had the opposite effect, Emma pushed herself to her feet, her face starting to become pink as she tried desperately to keep hold of the last ropes of her temper. 

“ _ Emma, _ we went over this.” Snow’s normal teacher voice had mixed with her still forming ‘mom’ voice as she scolded her daughter. “We aren’t telling you you need help because we find it fun, it’s because you need it, because right now you cannot do certain things. If you can’t listen to our words then maybe we’ll have to take action ourselves.”

“I can do whatever the hell I want!” Emma bellowed, her face was now red and her brows were furrowed. “You don’t get to come into my life and start telling me what to do! You’re not my-.”

She stopped herself just in time but the damage was done, she should tell Snow she didn’t mean to hurt her, that she had mostly shouted out of habit, but she couldn’t. She was not adverse to lies but she had been thinking so much about her parents not really being parents, about them getting a do over, them not being the ones to bring back her memories and bring her home. 

“ _ Emma _ .” David’s eyes were lasers looking down at his daughter, burning a hole into her. “ _ Never _ speak to your mother like that again. Ever. Are you hurt?” He waited for her to shake her head, she was looking down at the ground refusing to meet his eyes. “Then go sit on the couch, go cool down, I’ll make some breakfast.” 

“A time out?” Emma demanded her voice high with disbelief. “What the fu-”

“ _ Emma! _ .” Snow cut her off. “Do not speak to your father like  _ that _ .” 

“If you want to call it a time out, you can.” David told her evenly. “But whatever you call it you clearly need one. Go.  _ Now _ .” He watched her glare at him and got ready for yet another fight but she turned on her heels and stomped over to the living area. He carried on watching her until she reached the couch and began to climb up it. He wanted to go over and help her but she was angry enough. 

Instead he turned back to his wife, wrapping her in a hug despite the fact that her skin was wet and her hair was still full of shampoo, he tried his best not to inhale it. “She didn’t mean it. She’s just tired and overwhelmed. She didn’t mean it.” He mumbled. 

“She did.” Snow sighed. “She’s right. We’re… She still doesn’t see us as her parents.” Her voice was quiet and full of pain, speaking allowed the words which had been hidden in her head since the curse had broken. 

David wanted to console his wife, wanted to tell her of course Emma did, that everything was going to be okay, but he didn’t lie to his wife, not if he could help it. “She’ll get used to it. She’ll get used to us being a family without a curse or a villain running around. I promise, Snow, she knows you’re her mom, somewhere in there, it’s just harder for her.” He kissed her lips as tenderly as he could. Comforting and reassuring. “Why don’t you go finish your shower and I’ll make us some breakfast.” He glanced at the clock in the kitchen. “I guess it’s more brunch now though.”

Snow hesitated. “Are you sure, maybe I should talk to her?” She glanced to where Emma had finally made it up on the couch and was pointedly not looking at them. 

“Snow, she’ll be okay, she needs a minute both to calm down and to think about her, act-” he cut himself off with a quiet laugh and a shake of the head, “gods, I just realised I sound like my mother.” 

That made the concern on Snow’s face fade into a laugh. She tipped up onto her tiptoes so she could kiss David’s soft, chapstick-raspberry-tasting, lips. She then walked to the bathroom without protest, ignoring David’s call to her back to let him know if she needed anything, her head was full of thoughts and all of them were about her children, alive and not yet living. 

* * *

  
  


Emma was having to blink away tears from her eyes by the time she made it up onto the couch, she didn’t know why she was teary eyed, other than the fact she was in this child’s body.  _ Her _ body. Or if it was because she was so over-exhausted. Or because she had disappointed her parents yet again, she should be used to that feeling, it stung. She could hear the murmur of them talking, sure they were analysing her actions even if she was unable to make out the words they were saying. 

She scrubbed at her eyes but as soon as those tears had been absorbed into her skin another set was in her eyes. Had she been alone she would have given into the impulse, but the very last thing she could handle right now was David or Snow seeing her crying and comforting her. 

She listened as Snow moved to the bathroom and the shower started up, she stared at the clock on the shelf, she tried her best to read it but it was hard to see through her tears, and her mind was racing so fast that it was impossible to interpret it.

She curled up on the couch in a ball as the smell of toast, egg, and bacon filled the loft. 

She heard footsteps, her mom’s feet heading away from the bathroom, the steam from the bathroom spreading a wave of heat through the downstairs like the tide coming in. 

She felt a hand on her back and she slowly sat up, she was surprised to come face to face with David, at least her tears had dried. She watched him perch on the coffee table in front of the couch, she knew Snow didn’t like that, Emma kind of liked that about him. She sat perfectly still waiting for him to continue the lecture, or to shout at her some more. 

David smiled a rueful smile and held up the small bottle from the night before in his hand. “I would say I brought a peace offering, but…” He trailed off looking at her with a careful and loving smile, ready to have her shout more at him. 

Emma’s face scrunched up in confusion. “How’d you know my head was hurting?” She asked, having only just noticed herself, when he had said it. 

David’s smile stayed just as loving as he gave a shrug and quietly told her. “I’m your dad.” He bit his lip as he carefully watched her. “How about we put this morning behind us? We got up pretty late but I made some brunch, I figured we could eat together before Regina and everyone else comes to talk to us?” He tried his best not to sound too hopeful, not to put too much pressure on her.

Emma hesitated but nodded her head, wincing when it pounded in response. As David poured medicine onto the spoon, she rubbed her cheeks with the heel of her palm, trying to rid her face of any signs she had cried. She was feeling empty after crying, she was ready to put it behind her, she was glad that David wasn’t insisting on a full emotional conversation in order to allow them to carry on. 

David laughed as Emma swallowed the medicine, he couldn’t help  _ but _ laugh, she looked so cute doing pulling her face at the taste. She looked at him betrayed he held up his hands in surrender and pulled a glass of juice from behind his back. “I came prepared.” 

* * *

And just like that they carried on, it seemed so bizarre to Emma, that people, adults, didn’t hold grudges, but then they had always been like that. She didn’t get it, she didn’t get how they could, how she couldn’t forgive them, even for moving on. 

* * *

She had barely finished her breakfast when there was a knock at the door, since Zelena had been running around they had actually been locking the door, despite her being locked up safe and secure they had continued to do so, finally taking into account the need for safety, especially in  _ their  _ town. 

David walked out of the shower, freshly clothed, and opened the door letting in the group before Snow could even move Emma off of her lap where Emma had sat to eat, not being tall enough to reach the table on her own. 

Emma slipped down to the ground as they walked in, she tried her best not to focus on their faces, none of them looked excited or on the brink of discovery. Instead she focused on the clothes Robin was carrying, her clothes, before she had shrunk and had only been able to wear her t-shirt as a dress. She took them off of him and carried them to the ground trying her best not to trip as she carried them to the living area.

“I brought these, they should be about Emma’s size,” Thomas told his cousin holding out a plastic bag of clothes, “they’re Alexandra’s but she had plenty.”

Snow punched Thomas’s arm as hard as she could.

“Ow what the fuck Snow!?” 

“Why the  _ hell _ didn’t you call  _ me _ when my child was part of a magical fight club?”

“I didn’t want to bother you, you’re  _ very _ pregnant right now, and as time as of the essence and I wasn’t fully sure of what the  _ hell _ was happening right I wanted you here fast which isn’t exactly your speed right now, and you can’t necessarily defend yourself right now.”

Snow glared at him and raised her fist up ready to punch him in the face, not just his arm, this time. “You want a bet?”

“Hey!” 

Thomas and Snow’s heads snapped towards Regina who was glaring at both of them intensely. 

“Will the two of you behave? You are both adults and parents now, you’re not twelve anymore, so quit squabbling.”

The two ducked their heads and moved away, both of them mumbling that it wasn’t their fault, but they at least stopped overtly squabbling.

Emma hunted for her phone in the pocket of the leather jacket. She pulled it out dropping the clothes, there were messages on the phone from Henry, she could make his name out but the content were all nonsense. 

She felt a hand on her back and this time she could tell it was David. 

“You ready?” 

Emma put the phone on the coffee table and looked at him, she glanced at the people gathered - Regina, Robin, Thomas, Tink, Gold, and Belle. She audibly swallowed. Then nodded her head.

* * *

Everyone gathered around the table, partially because Snow had already been forced to sit down, and the table had been closest. Thomas sat across from her; both of the cousins were looking annoyed at having been scolded by Snow’s step mother. Gold was leaning against the kitchen island but his wife had taken a seat at the table with a leather bound book almost as big as her. Tink and Robin took seats as David walked over with Emma. 

David took a seat between Snow and Thomas he, pulled Emma onto his lap, knowing she wouldn’t ask him to lift her.

“So, did you find anything?” Snow asked after they had sat in silence for a moment too long. 

“I looked, but…” Regina shook her head as she trailed off. 

“What? You clearly didn’t look hard enough! You just-”

“-Emma, honey.” Snow took Emma’s hand, and squeezed it, trying her best to quieten and comforting her. “I’m sure they-.”

“I did try to tell you, Ms Swan, there is no chance of you being turned back, perhaps if you hadn't pushed yourself so far you wouldn’t be in this situation.” Mr Gold told her, staring her down. “There would have been signs, you ignored them because you inherited your father’s brains, clearly.”

“Shut up Rumple.” David growled, coming to his daughter’s defence. “Quit trying to piss Emma off because your son’s not talking to you,  _ again _ .”

“Don’t take your misplaced anger out on  _ me _ , ‘ _ Charming _ ’, when really you’re angry that your daughter decided to become part of a idiotic group and now you’re stuck with trying to raise her right this time.” 

David got to his feet and placed Emma on the ground in one fluid motion before rounding on the Dark One.

Emma ran as fast as she could away from everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot how much David and Rumple squabble especially in the earlier seasons, Rumple loves the drama and getting under people especially David's skin, so rumple's de-stressing about his own life, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon - I had to split this chapter in two cause this was getting so long.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got done way quicker than I expected so I thought I'd post it now :D
> 
> Thank you all for your amazing feedback, the support really does help authors write faster, as ridiculous as that may sound.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this too

Snow finally found Emma in the tiny laundry room off of the kitchen, it was so small that it took quite a bit of effort to manoeuvre around the door and through the doorway, squeezing between the overly large cupboard and the old fashioned washer. 

She finally made it fully into the room and, with only a few seconds of internal debate, she slid down the wall to sit beside Emma. She was going to speak but there were no words for this situation, and whenever she had tried to make it better she always said the wrong thing. So she sat beside Emma trying her very best not to do anything to get Emma to shut her out. 

“How’d you find me?” Emma mumbled after several minutes. 

“Well you did slam the door on your way in here and this is one of like three rooms which have doors in our home. I thought I was supposed to be the emotional one out of us.” She teased half heartedly. She looked down at her daughter evaluating the worst possible thing Emma could do, just in case she needed to prepare for it, though she hadn’t even considered her joining a magical fight club so she wasn’t too certain about this method of parenting anymore. 

Emma sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes with the back of the fist and looked up at Snow. She knew she looked pathetic, but she didn’t care about Snow seeing it for once. 

Snow’s voice was as tender as her touch as she brushed hair out of her daughter’s face. “What’re you thinking, sweetie?” 

“It’s not fair.” Emma had planned to not say that, and if she had planned on it she would have made sure it came out mad, pissed, vengeful, like she was going to overcome the odds. Instead it came out in a choked sob. Tears spilled out of her eyes and the next thing she knew floods were coming out of her eyes, so many tears she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. 

Snow stopped trying to control the situation, instead she acted on instinct, pulling Emma into her arms, she held her as close as possible as she cried, she whispered platitudes telling her it would be okay, though she really had no idea how she would be able to convince Emma of that, or how she would be able to make it okay, any of it. She had no idea about anything other than the fact that for Emma she would do anything, and she  _ would _ make it okay. 

* * *

  
  


“Here, put this on your knuckles.” Regina handed David a magical ice pack. She stared at him until he reluctantly took it and placed it onto his right hand where it had stopped bleeding but it was already hurting. “You need to stop punching someone who could kill you with the click of his fingers.”

“You need a thumb and a finger to click, not just fingers.” He rolled his eyes at his inability to ever make Regina laugh. “I’ll stop punching him when he stops deserving it.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“If he had gone after Henry like he went after Emma then you would have done more than just punch him.”

“Which is why I’m  _ reluctant _ friends with people like; Snow, and Tink, and  _ you _ .” Regina rolled her eyes and took the seat opposite him. “He was being a dick, but he was also right. Emma overdid herself, she would have felt it, but she refuses to learn to control her emotions when she’s using her magic. And she’s been extra emotional recently.”

“She’s fallen out with Henry before and it’s not caused that.”

“It’s not just that though, is it?”

“Well no, but things with Neal aren’t that bad, they’ve both moved on. What? Why are you giving me that look, your ‘you’re an idiot’ look?”

“If the boot fits.” She told him dryly. “It’s not just things with Henry and Neal she’s been avoiding, is it? Otherwise she might not have minded putting up with you two for more than a few hours at a time.”

What are you on-” His sentence dropped off as realisation struck, a frown deepened on his face, finally he squeezed his eyes shut. “Shit. I, we, we thought she needed time, that she was just stressed about Henry and being forced to stay here, or because she was finding it hard seeing us as, fuck.” 

  
  


* * *

It was nearly fifteen whole minutes before Emma stopped crying. She felt exhausted; emotionally and physically, she couldn’t move from Snow’s arms back onto the laundry room floor, and she didn’t want to. 

Snow combed her hand through Emma’s wild curls, she seemed to have calmed down but hadn’t moved away, Snow began to think she might have fallen asleep, after all she had barely slept the past couple of weeks, she ducked her head down and saw Emma’s beautiful green eyes blinking away the remnants of tears but she was still awake.    
“I wish that I could fix this for you, fix everything for you, I really wish I could.” She hesitated and found herself rocking, she wasn’t sure if she was trying to comfort herself or Emma, she hoped it was the latter. “I wish I could tell you that they’re wrong or lying to conspire on an evil scheme, but Regina wouldn’t lie to us, not anymore, and Rumple, well he probably would lie but not about this.”

“How’d you know?” Emma’s voice was small and doubtful even if it was muffled by the fact she was keeping her face pressed against Snow. 

“He’s, well he’s The Dark One, but he’s a dad, a parent, he wouldn’t lie about this. We’ll keep searching, there’s always hope, but I think we’re going to have to find our new normal.”

Emma allowed herself to slump fully against Snow, or she would have if that stupid huge tummy wasn’t in the way, she tried to swallow down the lump in her throat but it was still there, no matter how much she pretended it wasn’t. 

“Emma, why the hell did you get involved with this? It’s not completely your fault this happened, but why did you get involved in that at all? You could have ended up seriously hurt, you could have woken up dead instead of in the hospital!”

Emma slipped off of Snow’s lap and crossed her arms over her chest. “I was fine, I had it under control, I’m good at it - and it’s not like I had another teacher or anything else to do!”

“Regina was just spending some time with her son and her new boyfriend, she would have gotten around to teaching you again, that time with trying to drop you off a bridge over a ravine, and Henry will stop being mad at you soon, trust me I have some experience in the area. He was probably just worried you were going to leave but as soon as you didn’t he would have been going to the arcade or to bug Ruby for free milkshakes again. And you were going to stay… weren’t you?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders. “What’s it matter now?”

“It matters! Emma, why would you have left? I know you had a life in New York when you were there with Henry, but he’s here now, and you’ve got a life here too. What were you planning on staying away until fourth of July, you were going to go months before meeting your sibling. 

“Look I get it. I’m sorry, you didn’t plan for this and I’ll figure out a way t-to fix it, so just… I’m sorry.” She pulled herself to her and left the laundry room as fast as she could without overtly running away from Snow. 

“Emma? Emma!” She called after her daughter but stuck on the ground where it would take too much time to get up to be able to run after her. She was left watching with an open mouth after her daughter, running through everything she said trying her best to find out what it was she had said. 

She was slowly manoeuvring to her feet when it finally hit her. It was as obvious as the nose on her face, or the eight months of pregnancy in her tummy. It would have been obvious if Emma had always been three years old, but they just hadn’t expected twenty nine year old Emma to be experiencing the same sibling jealousy. She thought about all the times she should have caught it, either of them should have, they were her parents after all. 

  
  


* * *

When Emma walked back through from the laundry room several people had left the loft; Thomas was in the kitchen making drinks, Robin was trying to help but was mostly staring in disgust as Thomas heated up a mug of tea in the microwave, she froze as she saw David at the table with an icepack on his hand he was talking low to Regina.

“Hey, Emma, you want a drink, there’s some juice boxes?” Thomas offered, trying way too hard to sound casual, which wasn’t helped by his ‘casual’ lean against the kitchen counter, as he tried his best to distract her from whatever was going on with David. 

“What happened to David?” 

Thomas turned his back to duck into the fridge. “Erm, he just hurt it casually, just the usual,” he was trying so hard to sound casual it was taking up all of his concentration, causing him to nearly pass Emma a bottle of beer instead of a juice box, “shit, not that, here, apple!” 

Emma took the juice box but narrowed her eyes at Thomas. “How’d he get hurt?”

“God, you look like Snow, she purposely pushed me into a freezing cold late one time you know? It was winter and she was clearly trying to murder me.”

“You probably deserved it, Tom.” 

Emma turned on her heel and found David towering over her, within seconds he dropped onto one knee so she wasn’t having to look up at him. 

“You might not know this about your uncle Thomas yet, but sometimes he deserves to get hypothermia, it’s barely even avunculicide because everyone agrees he’s that annoying.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong! I’m getting my favourite niece a juice box, see!” He pointed towards the one Emma was currently holding. 

“I saw you nearly giving her a beer, dipshit.” He looked back at Emma. 

“What happened to your hand?” Emma’s eyes were firmly on the red knuckles and she didn’t mean to but her finger was out and carefully touching where the skin had split. 

“I’m okay, kiddo.” 

“Your father punched The Dark One in the face because of how he was behaving to you, he was doing what any good father would do.”

Emma had looked at Robin as he talked, that way he was talking made Emma certain that David must have really laid into Gold. And that David was doing a dad action yet again. Emma didn’t know how to feel about that. She didn’t want it. She didn’t need it. Well she didn’t used to need it, but why was it starting to feel so… no she wasn’t going to let herself think about it. She gave a small nearly indecipherable nod, mostly in fear that he would continue talking if she didn’t give some sign she understood. 

When she looked back at David she could see he was looking embarrassed, and she was still touching his hand with her own, she was about to move it away when his hand turned and gently took her own. She was forced to look into his eyes even as Snow walked back into the room, both because she was waiting for David to say something, and because she didn’t want to have to say anything about her outburst. 

“I’m glad I punched him but I still shouldn’t have done it. I know it’s something both of us seem to have a little trouble doing, isn’t it, controlling our tempers.” He held up his little finger on his other hand so he wouldn’t have to let go of her other one. “How about we make a pact to try our best?” 

Emma thought it was insanely cheesy. Beyond insanely cheesy. She held up her own finger and locked fingers with him. “I’m not going to be able to punch Gold for a while anyway. As soon as… if Regina finds…” She looked over towards Regina who had her hand on Snow’s back, the other two men were also gathered around them. She felt suddenly struck by desperation, or despair, no-  _ fear - _ of having to go over there and listen to everything in depth. It was too much. 

“I was thinking, we can go over there and join in with them all, or I can help you get changed upstairs, because you  _ do _ need a little help with both of those things Em, and I could fill you in on the long and short of it?” 

Emma bit her lip and nodded her head, suddenly feeling every year of her size and only them. She watched him stand up and was hit by the icle of fear again, she held her arms up to him before he could go away from her, before he could leave her. It was stupid, ridiculous, there was no reason why she should feel like that, hell she wasn’t even sure if she had ever felt like this before.    
Just like she knew that Snow wasn’t mad at her, because there wasn’t really one, not a big, well a big one because they were now being burdened with her, but she didn’t  _ do _ this to piss her off.    
But it still felt like she did, it was why she couldn’t look at her after they came out of the laundry room, because if she did she felt like she would burst into tears, again. 

“C’mon Monkey.” David hushed quietly, he didn’t mean to keep letting nicknames and monikers slip from his mouth quite so easily, but they did, along with a mutation of protectiveness and hope - it was how he had felt when Emma was a baby, only just born and so brave already. It was how he felt every time a curse broke, before Emma would push him away, before she would want to run away, even if she didn’t. 

He had always allowed himself to be pushed, though, always afraid to take it too far, wanting Snow to be able to take that role, but he couldn’t anymore. Not now, not when Emma couldn’t push him away, and when she needed him to prove that she was just as important, that he would be just as involved in her life as he had been enthusing about being in the baby’s for the past couple of months, since they got back.    
He cursed himself for not noticing that Emma needed him to talk straight to her - before she had joined a magical fight club instead of trying to tell them that she felt like she was being replaced, before they had let the ball slip. 

He held Emma on his hip, as he had the night before, so her ear was resting against the steady echo of his heart. The bag of clothes Thomas had brought were on the kitchen island, he scooped it up as he tried his best to have a silent eye conversation with Snow, they would need an actual physical one too, but it would do for now, she should talk to Regina to find out the facts that perhaps Emma didn’t need to hear right then. And David would try and make sure that Emma knew big changes had happened and were  _ still _ happening, and that it would be hard for her but, well, they were her parents, and they knew best, or at least they were trying to.

  
  


* * *

Snow watched David carry Emma up the stairs. Apparently the earlier argument had some effect on Emma because she seemed to be letting David help her, probably only a little, and this could all change in a moment, they could be having that same argument in hours, days, weeks, months, next year. A small squeeze of her hand and she came back to herself. 

She was quiet as Regina spoke, Thomas also spoke, though didn’t bring up his own knowledge, he had taken over Belle’s research and Gold’s knowledge, the former who was apologetic and the latter of whom was bleeding, when they left. She sipped her tea, it was not hot enough, the tea bag had not been left to stew for long enough, she drank it anyway. 

“So,” she said finally. “She’s been overusing her magic repeatedly because she would rather be in a magical Fight Club than spend time with me and David-”

“-Snow-.” Thomas tried to interrupt but Snow carried on in her unaffected business like tone. 

“- most children start small with their magic learning little by little, but Emma obviously couldn’t, because of this her magic is still new, essentially a child’s magic. But because her magic runs on emotions and she’s extra emotional lately she overdid it.” 

“ _ Majorly _ overdid it.” Regina interjected. “Like a fuse being blown on an entire city.”

“She should have  _ died _ .” This was the first show of emotion in Snow’s voice, she wasn’t sobbing, but her voice came out in an almost whisper catching before the last word. She shook her head at herself and began to talk again. “But her magic changed her into a child in an attempt to save her, to change her to a state where she needed very little magic to survive.” She knew that magically people could not survive without magic for long, like leaving a head trauma untreated. “But magic doesn’t recharge when it comes to things like this, her magic will build up again as she grows, but she will grow the same as any other child.”

Regina waited for Snow to say or do something else, when she didn’t, Regina nodded.

“She can’t be turned to an adult again in The Land without Magic? New memories, even without us, if...” She trailed off, her heart ached at the mere idea of having to be without her daughter yet again, she, they, would sacrifice it if it saved Emma, if it made her happy, if it allowed her to be safe and happy.”

Regina shook her head. “The adult brain is too complex, it was risky enough the first time, even trying it again would break her brain, it would hemorrhage and she would die. Anyway I know no way to turn someone like Emma into an adult again, she’s not like Pinocchio, he’s technically still a puppet. I doubt Gold knows any ways either. This is it, the only possible option which will allow her to survive. As she grows up I can teach her magic properly, but there’s no way to speed either up. She’s going to start to feel and act more childish, the same as her physical age. 

Snow placed her hands on her stomach to soothe herself, she couldn’t hold Emma like she wanted to right now, so this was a good enough substitute. Her mind was on Emma that morning, from the second David had brought her home, the little glances of what parenting books had called separation anxiety, Emma holding her arms up to David to pick her up played again and again in her mind. “That makes sense.” 

“I could give her adjusted memories, only three years old means she wouldn’t have many anyway so it wouldn’t be the same as giving her an entire new fake life, or she could be left as she is, her brain might make up slightly adjusted memories on her own, as she begins to act more child like.”

“That’s Emma’s decision, she doesn’t need to make it right now, she needs to process this first, or it’ll be too much.” 

“You’re going to have to start treating her more like a child.” Regina’s suggestion was careful but she clearly felt it was needed. 

“I know.”

“She’s going to need it sooner than later and the sooner she gets used to it-”

“ _ Regina _ .” Her voice was sharp in a way she never was to Regina. It silenced her step mother and now she softened it. “I know, we already are, starting to treat her- keeping her safe.” She paused for a second. 

She thought about the fact Emma’s walls seemed to have been strengthened overnight, she had thought it was purely to keep her and David out, but it was possible it was also to keep her feelings and emotions hidden, her wants and needs hidden, her thoughts and fears. David had told her quietly of Emma’s fear about falling down the toilet, how the way she seemed scared was childish. Emma was going to resist it, the change in how they were going to have to treat her, but it would be what she needed. She would get used to it. Eventually. 

Regina and Robin stuck around for a little while longer, Robin was volunteering to take some shifts at the station should Thomas need him to, David was already planning on taking paternity but Snow wasn’t sure if he would choose to take more time off. They would take it as it came. She was mostly in her head as she drank her tea. 

She was watching her cousin, Thomas, there was something different in him, something he was trying to hide on his face.

Thomas and Snow had been close as children, the only royal children in their family they had found that the other one was the only one to understand the politics of their family, and the only friend the other had who would treat them normally, not as royalty. Thomas was a few years younger than Snow but when they were sent back to the Enchanted Forest he and Ashley, as she had opted to continue to be called, had decided to travel. When they got back they found they had been in a place where time was different, instead of being only a baby Alexandra was now four, and Ashley and Thomas were still together but distant from each other. 

“How’s Alex?”

“She’s good, amazing, her preschool teacher told me that she’s settled in well, that’s she’s very clever, I already knew that but the teacher said she was very very smart.” 

Snow smiled at his proud daddy bragging, David was the same and she was sure that he would be even worse now Emma was younger and there would be more firsts and milestones and achievements, both with Emma and the new baby. “She definitely doesn’t take after you then.” She joked surprised at her own laugh when he pulled a face at her. “How about Ashley?”

Thomas busied himself looking down at his own mug of coffee. “She’s fine, yeah, she’s good, she’s looking for a new job.” he let out a sigh and looked older than he ever had. “She has an interview in Boston, she, I don’t know, I think it’s just to see if she can become an interior design artist.” 

“And if she gets the job?” 

“We haven’t exactly talked that far. I don’t know.” He tried his best to look fine with it, but he obviously was not. He stood up collecting his and Snow’s mugs, before he could take the other two’s Robin stood with them, leaving Snow and Regina alone at the table, once again.

“Snow,” Regina said before Snow could say anything about Ashley, “it’s possible that the only reason why Emma’s magic was able to save her is because you cast the curse- you were thinking about your family as you cast it, so it saved her even though the actual curse broke, it’s used up all the remaining magic from it to save her- kind of like blood magic, but not really.”

“ _ I’m _ the reason she got turned into a child?” The knowledge stabbed at her heart like a knife. 

“ _ You’re _ the reason she’s  _ alive _ and not dead.” She corrected.

* * *

Snow looked up when she heard David’s even paced feet on the metal staircase, the remnants of the group had left a little while ago and Snow was sat making a list at the kitchen table. 

David placed Emma down on the ground and she walked over to Snow as he collected his jacket and put his shoes on. 

Emma was dressed in an outfit which clearly made her look uncomfortable. The reason for this was clear to anyone who knew her at all; the clothes were pink, sparkly, and the shirt announced that she was a princess. The only possible upshot was that it wasn’t a dress, but that was barely an upshot considering the cartoon on her shirt was wearing a pink tutu. Emma was tempted to call child services for Alexandra, considering she usually wore this ensemble, or perhaps she could call them for herself. 

She had cried again, while upstairs with David,  _ in front  _ of  _ David _ , when he had made sure she knew there was no chance she would be changed back, she felt lost, beyond lost, astray, misplaced, vanished. She had clung onto David as she had cried, crying harder when confusion and ache mixed with her feelings when she found that she desperately wanted to hold onto both her mom and her dad - considering she refused to even call them those monikers out loud. 

When she had finished crying she was numb and placid,  _ raw _ really, she had tried to get herself dressed but had struggled to put things on the correct way around and had nearly burst into tears again. David had swooped in and saved the day, distracting her by telling her about something stupid one of the newer deputies had done (resulting him ending up being chased down main street by a parrot) which had made her laugh despite herself. 

She was only now realising that he had purposely distracted her. 

Emma bit her lip as she was placed down, she continued to bite it as David left her side and Emma walked over to Snow, she realised a few seconds too late that her mother was waiting for her to say something. 

“Da-,” she stopped herself from calling David what she sometimes called him in her head, what she kept thinking of him as that day, and stumbled to change it before it came out, “David said we’re going shopping.” 

Snow gave her a warm smile, Emma didn’t wanted to talk about their talk in the laundry room, and for once Snow decided to go along with the slightly emotionally unhealthier option - though she wasn’t sure whether it was (in this situation) the unhealthier version, she didn’t think Emma would be able to have a long conversation about her soon to be sibling after all that had already happened that day.    
“Yeah, we thought that we should get some things to make things around here easier for you, and I thought you might prefer some clothes which are more you… unless you’d like more like you’re wearing.” The twinkle in her eye assured Emma that she was joking. 

“No!” Emma’s words spilled out of her mouth loud and alarmed but the exaggerated expression assured Snow that she knew. They both gave a little laugh. It trailed off as Snow looked like she had an idea and wrote another thing down on her list. Emma looked down at her borrowed sneakers, they would have been the colour ‘sparkly pink’ had they not been grubby from presumably playing outside, they had multicultural princesses printed on them, Emma stared down at them, wriggling them as she did. She looked back up at Snow, biting her lip. “You are coming with us, right?” 

Snow looked surprised, so surprised that she just looked at Emma for a second before she placed her pen down and took Emma’s hands, her skin was soft, not yet dried or hardened by age. “Of course I am, honey. Me and your father aren’t letting you out of our sight for a while, you gave us a worry.” She dropped one of her hands in order to feel her head. Emma winced as she gently brushed it. “How’s your head? Do you need medicine?” 

Emma smiled softly at Snow’s concern, she shook her head despite the slight distant pain which came from it. “Dad-vid, David he gave me medicine while you were in the shower.” Her cheeks blushed from her slip but she valiantly pretended that she hadn’t said slipped at all. 

Snow tried, and failed, not to smile so intensely. “Okay.” She said simply. She finally let go of Emma’s hand and she could have sworn that Emma looked disappointed. She stood and slipped the list into her pocket as David came back into the kitchen. 

“You girls ready to go?” He asked more as a pleasantry than an actual question, he scooped Emma up into his arms before Snow could try, not wanting the fear of his eight months pregnant wife walking three flights down with his twenty nine- no, three year old daughter in their arms, dreading them slipping and falling with each step.

Snow looked to Emma who nodded at her. “Yeah, let’s go. I made a list.” 

David playfully rolled his eyes knowing that Snow would, list making was one of her main hobbies, she made hobbies for everything, and he loved her for it. He liked to tease her though so he did so now. 

As Snow led the way, grabbing her station wagon keys, David lowered his voice for just Emma. “Let’s see who can get the most things which aren’t on the list.” He proposed with a smile, and Emma smiled back, a big full smile which lit up her entire face, it had dimmed within seconds, but she looked a little happier at the thought of annoying Snow as a game. It would be worth any eye rolling Snow would later give him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww poor Emma experiencing so much sibling jealousy. 
> 
> Henry will come into the fic in a few chapters, once Emma's had a little family time, and this will be a fic where Emma stays a child. 
> 
> Plenty of fluff and some angst in the next chapter!
> 
> Chat to me on Tumblr if you like - loboselinaistrash.tumblr.com :D


	4. Chapter 4

Emma could not have ever been happier to be out of a car. She didn’t care too much about not being able to drive, she wasn’t that much of a control freak, in fact she preferred not having to drive. 

What she hated about that otherwise pleasant car ride was the car seat she had been strapped into. She did not enjoy her ride in the car seat for very obvious reasons; namely that it was a goddamn  _ baby’s  _ car seat and she had been  _ strapped _ into it. It wasn’t just any car seat it was one which was clearly one made for young babies, it had been bought for her soon to be sibling, which made her hate it even more. 

She let out a grumble under her breath as she was freed from her restraint only to be carried across the parking lot. Emma felt a glimmer of hope when David and Snow stated that the monstrous car seat was not the best, she thought that they got why it had caused Emma so much frustration, but they simply stated that it was nearly too small for her.

Emma felt a wave of anger fall over her. She could feel the urge, the  _ overwhelming _ urge, to lose her temper, to stamp her foot or to ball her fists, the pure shock of those feelings quenched her anger like water flooding fire. 

She was being held by David as they entered the big box store, a sort of babies’r’us style store Emma had seen a few times, only now it looked massive, it was one thing the loft being big, but she hadn’t paid much attention to the hospital the day before, so this was the first place she had gone to and it looked massive, bigger than any place she could remember going. 

She was still looking around, a little disorientated even while in Snow’s arms,when David appeared back at their side, he was holding onto a slightly discoloured teal cart.

David shot his usual, easy, charming smile at Snow and Emma. “You want a ride, kid?” 

Emma bristled ever so slightly at the nickname ‘kid’, she had to remind herself that David had been calling her some variation on that since she had known him as him, it wasn’t a hit at her new size. She realised that he was waiting for an answer. She shook her head. 

“I can keep carrying you?” Worry edged into Snow’s voice. “It’s going to be a long walk…”

“‘M okay.” Emma mumbled before realising it wouldn’t cut it. “I’m not tired. I can do it.” 

“Okay.” David said, maintaining his easy smile. 

Emma wasn’t sure that it was going to cut it for Snow, she had taken a breath in to try and persuade Emma, Emma was certain of it, but David’s reply seemed to have somehow convinced Snow. Emma was placed onto the ground, okay this was a whole lot more disorientating, it was weird not being able to see their faces anymore down in the forest of legs, not being able to figure out what Snow was looking like, why she decided to side with her and David.

“Just please keep with us.” Snow’s voice was still laced with worry, but when Emma looked up she only saw Snow smiling down at her, a smile which didn’t quite reach her eyes, not fully. 

* * *

As they walked through the store Snow kept catching sight of purple and blue baby clothes on the end of aisles, designed to be eye catching. She did not let them turn her head, no matter how much her nesting instinct was bading her to. She could tell David was doing the same, he was purposely talking more whenever there was a football jersey or a little baseball outfit or something, trying to distract himself and make sure Emma didn’t notice anything.    
They had talked about this after strapping Emma into the car seat on the way, before either of them had gotten into the car, it was a quick and hushed conversation, both of them had realised how much the new sibling was effecting Emma already, they had sworn that neither of them would buy a single thing which wasn’t for their oldest baby.    
It wasn’t going to solve everything but it would at least help a little, they needed to talk to her properly, but time wasn’t on their side, they couldn’t rush her to talk after the shock of recent events as she would simply shut down, but they also only had a month at most to get her used to it. 

Twenty minutes later Emma was ever so slightly regretting choosing to walk instead of being carried or riding in the cart, it was so far from the entrance to the travel section of the store, and what made it worse was that she knew that Snow and David were having to slow their walking to match her’s, no matter how fast she walked. 

Snow led the way as David stayed walking by Emma’s side as Snow tried to get Emma excited about being able to face forward in the car seat. 

Then her mother began to look at the car seats.

Emma knew that her mother could communicate with birds,  _ theoretically _ .    
She had seen the Snow White movie when she was young, but seeing Mary - _ Snow _ , flittering around the aisle comparing different car seats it allowed Emma,  _ for once _ , to see the similarities between the Snow in the story book and the woman who was her mother.    
It made her feel a little uncomfortable, it was hard for her, the reason why she allowed herself to not call her mom was because she couldn't combine the two versions of Snow, the story book one who had birthed her and the one she had been roomies with. 

Snow finally came back over to them with a patient smile on her face, like the one she smiled at council meetings in Henry’s story book. 

“I think I found top three, they’re all very safe and come equipped with-” 

Emma zoned out as Snow began to rattle off facts over the safety features, David joining in to ask questions about how safe they really were, and adding in his two cents over which he thought was best in each category Snow seemed to be marking them out of - seriously she had a notepad and pen and was tallying up the points. 

But Emma didn’t care about the safety of car seats or anything like that, in fact it was even more boring to her than usual, instead she found her eyes drawn to a lightweight stroller, something she would have absolutely no interest in, but this one was bright red and a deep green, designed to look like a monster with fabric teeth sewn into the hood, she didn’t know why she was staring, she was fairly certain if Snow tried to put her in one she really would throw a tantrum, but the bright colours and childish design were hypnotising. 

“Emma!”

Emma snapped her head in the direction of Snow White, she could tell from the tone of voice she had used, and the now concerned look on her face, that this wasn’t the first time she called Emma’s name.    
“Yeah? What’s up? Are you two done being boring?” She asked with a cheeky smile, she had aimed for charming but this would do, she could tell Snow thought she had been doing it on purpose.

“We’ve narrowed it down to two, we need you to decide which one is more comfortable, you okay to do a taste test?” She stood about a foot away from Emma, her arms out to pick her up but not inside of her personal bubble, all the while she was making sure Emma knew there was no pressure in denying it. 

“My answer is none of them cause I’ll be fine.” She cut off any protests at the root with her eye roll but she hadn’t put her heart into it. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” She sighed, her words also hadn’t come with snark or fire, she walked towards Snow and allowed herself to be scooped up. She was never going to get used to being held.

She was placed into a car seat which was strapped into a tester car seat. The only positive was that it was at least forward facing this time, and it was a little more comfortable, possibly because it actually fit her size; her new size that was. She was made to test two car seats; one was a deep purple one it was modern and comfortable, not that she was about to admit it, she reluctantly admitted it was okay. She was no more enthusiastic about the next one, she didn’t have a hard time realising who picked which car seat, the next one was blue and green, a cartoon rainforest dotted with brightly coloured animals, this one was clearly David’s pick. It was basically the same as the first one, only a different design, Snow insisted it was different but the second she tried to explain why Emma shut down again. 

Then they stood in front of her while she was still strapped into the seat, waiting to hear her judgement, she shrugged her shoulders telling them that it didn’t make a difference to her. 

“How about you decide which design you like best?” Snow suggested carefully. 

“I…” Emma looked at the purple seat David was holding and then at the one she was sat in. “I don’t know, I don’t care.” She tried her best to come off as nonchalant, but her stomach turned ever so slightly despite herself at the idea of having to choose between the options, she didn’t want to let either of them down. Logically she knew that was stupid, but realistically she felt uncomfortable, she felt like one of those nineties teen movies about the kids with the divorced parents. 

Snow nodded at David’s silent words then she turned back to Emma, through determination she managed to bend down to undo the straps of the car seat, she smiled kindly at her daughter. “Well, we already have two car seats for the-,” she cut herself off, “well we have two cars it would be a good idea to have one in each of them, in case we need to drive somewhere in an emergency, no need to choose.” 

“Thanks.” Emma told her quietly when she was lifted down, she was fairly certain her mom knew that she meant both for the help and for not making her choose. 

“I’ll go and erm,-” David nodded his head towards the exit, he trailed off but quickly recovered with a charming smile. “-I’ll go and pay for these and put them in the trunk so we’re not having to push them around.” 

For a few seconds he looked torn. 

“Go, we’ll be okay, won’t we Emma?” 

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t we?” Emma’s brows furrowed and she found a small part of her brain searching for a reason why he should stay. 

David nodded his head, he was still smiling but he also still looked a little torn. “I’ll meet you near the clothes?”

“Sure, we’ll see you there, won’t we Emma?”

Emma swallowed. “Yeah, sure, whatever.” 

* * *

  
  


Between the travel section and the clothes they made several detours, stopping in the homeware department, Emma had never thought she would be so happy to see steps so she could reach things, though she had also never thought she would need steps, at least not for the small things. It felt like it was taking forever to walk around the place, she was now more than certain that the place was cursed to be never ending. 

“Okay come on.” 

“What?” 

Snow bit her lip to stop herself from smiling at the image of Emma tilting her head to the side in confusion, she was so her father’s daughter. Biting her lip did not help. “Emma you’re clearly tired, hop in the cart for a little while.” 

“I’m not! I’m fine!” 

“Emma-.” 

“I can walk by myself!” She was aware that she was raising her voice but she also couldn’t stop it. “I’m not a! I can do this! I don’t want to do that-! I want to move on my own!”    
The frustration from having to ride in the car seat and having two bought specially for her and having been carried more places had finally gotten too much, she didn’t even notice when her foot stomped in company with her ‘own’. 

Snow was as patient as ever. “Emma, I know that you can, but you look exhausted, it’s okay to accept help when you need it.”

“I don’t need it!” 

“Emma.” This time it was accompanied with a pitying sigh. Emma had already started to walk again, her feet fell heavily against the grey vinyl. Emma had chosen to carry on out of stubborness. She wished that Emma hadn’t inherited both of their stubborness. Snow had no choice but to follow her, pushing the cart and watching Emma carefully. 

It wasn’t long before Emma was lagging again, Snow slowed her already slow pace, she waited as Emma leant against a step a staff member must have forgotten to put away, she was pretending to look at the shelves but Snow knew for a fact she was not, she had no interest at all in baby formula for newborn to six months olds. Snow stood on the other side of the aisle waiting for Emma to move again, or to speak to her, she had a strong feeling it would be the former rather than the latter.

“I need, can I…” Emma swallowed hard and when she spoke again she raised her voice loud enough that Snow would actually be able to hear her. “Can I ride in the cart now?” 

Snow frowned seeing Emma looking down at the floor, she could tell Emma was ashamed at even having to ask for help, who had taught her shame in needing help? Or had she learnt on her own? She cleared her frown before Emma could say it, and moved before Emma could doubt anything, she lifted her and placed her into the seat near the handlebar of the cart. She gave her a smile as they set off, and when Emma finally met her eyes Snow began to talk about the things still on her list, assuring her she wouldn’t be put in girly clothes, she tried to ask a little about Emma’s childhood, but as always Emma didn’t answer, instead she would give some non-answer and change the subject. 

When they got to the clothes area Snow took a minute to find her way to the correct age section, she was used to the gender neutral newborn section, eventually she managed to find it and she carefully lifted Emma out of the seat as though Emma was a newborn baby. “If you get tired you just tell me and I’ll carry you or you can rest on one of the seats.” She nodded towards an empty couch in the center of the aisle. 

“I’m-,” she was about to say but stopped and amended, “I’ll be okay, but thank you.” 

The thank you came out more as a question, as though she wasn’t used to having anyone helping her, it broke Snow’s heart and uncomfortably reminded her of the Emma who had just moved in with Mary Margaret and didn’t even know the definition of family. Snow was a hopeful person but even she couldn’t feel a little disheartened by the fact this felt like yet another step back.    
“Okay honey.” Her voice was soothing. 

Snow chose to collect a couple of shirts and pants before dragging Emma into a changing room to try them on, this time Emma didn’t protest her help, Snow didn’t know whether to be worried or relieved. 

“Erm, unicorns aren’t really my thing.”

Snow blinked in surprise before she realised it was the picture the sequins on the shirt she was currently holding. “Oh! Oh, no this is just for us to figure out the size you need, it saves you having to try on all of them once we’ve picked stuff out.” 

Emma had to admit Snow had a point, she let her help her into clothes and a new pair of shoes, they fit a lot better than the large clothes and shoes she had borrowed from Alexandra, but Snow still frowned and helped her out of them and into a new set of clothes and sneakers identical to the last set. These fit perfectly but Snow was frowning.   
“What? They fit fine, I don’t need to try on  _ another _ set, do I?” She couldn’t help but whine.

Snow finally gave her a smile, when she saw her daughter’s face flicker with doubt she explained. “You don’t have to, I was just not expecting you to be so small, I mean I figured you were small for your age when I first saw you, but, well this proves it.” She watched Emma look guilty and immediately felt bad, though she knew Emma’s reaction wasn’t one most children would have. “Hey, it’s okay, I just forgot that you would be so small.” 

Emma frowned but Snow didn’t expand. She held her arms up when Snow gestured to her to do so, “Why-?” she began to ask but her voice was muffled when the sweatshirt was pulled over her head, she waited until she had the borrowed set of large clothes back on before trying again.

Snow’s face changed in the way it always did when she thought about the day of Emma’s birth, she smoothed the distress from it like an iron on a linen shirt, but Emma had seen it. “You were born early, very early, if you had been born on time I would have already been in this world for a few weeks.” She cradled Emma’s cheek though she wasn’t sure if she was comforting herself or Emma. “You were so tiny, I was so scared,” she shook her head to stop herself from scaring Emma, she let out a small giggle, “your daddy was so scared to even hold you; you were that tiny. But you were already full of life, you were so wide awake looking at me and your father, but when he had to take you to the wardrobe you were so still and quiet, you were perfect. You still are.” 

For once Emma didn’t interrupt or protest at Snow calling David her daddy, she was clearly lost in the past, and it seemed to hurt her talking about it so Emma wasn’t about to make that worse, not when Snow had been so kind and patient to her. Anyway, Snow had probably just gotten distracted, she was used to calling David ‘daddy’ to the bump, she was distracted by the past and forgot who she was talking to.    
She could feel Snow’s soft palm on her cheek, there was a slight cocoa butter smell from Snow’s hand cream, just like the one she used as Mary Margaret, it was both comforting and jarring to notice this connection, this reminder that  _ Snow _ was  _ Mary Margaret _ and  _ Mary Margaret _ was her  _ mother _ . She didn’t realise her head was moving until it was already leaning against Snow’s hand. Snow’s thumb stroked her cheek and Emma had to swallow hard to keep her emotions down. 

The moment was broken as Emma dropped to sit cross legged on the floor to put on her shoes, out of Snow’s reach. She resisted sighing and instead pointed out to Emma that the shoes were currently on the wrong feet. 

Once out of the changing room the two got to work finding a new wardrobe, or Snow got to work and when she found that Emma wouldn’t pick things out herself she managed to persuade her to (reluctantly) decide between two options. It was slow and had slowed more whenever they would have to go to a different aisle, Snow was nearly certain Emma was going to fall asleep on her feet, but she was still refusing to allow herself to be carried and had opted for walking instead of riding in the cart again. Snow was choosing to pick her battles. 

Emma felt her head nodding and jerking every time she forced herself to wake up, she was leant against one of the empty couches, she knew she would be more comfortable in the cart or in Snow’s arms, but she needed to keep an eye out for David and an eye on Snow, she knew it was a little weird but she desperately needed to know where they were. 

Her head nodded down again, and suddenly her feet left the ground, she felt weightless, her head jerked up and this time she felt wide awake. She opened her mouth to scream for help but the scream caught in her throat when she realised who had picked her up, she saw the familiar cautiously charming smile on David’s face, and the next thing she knew she was wrapping her arms around David’s neck and burying her face against him.

It took David a beat to realise that Emma was hugging him. He kept one arm wrapped around her back, keeping her in his arms, his other arm was up his hand cradling the back of her head. “Hey kiddo.” He finally said with a laugh. 

“You were gone for ages.”

David had to listen hard to hear her words as she spoke them into his jacket, then his heart sank, the fear was clear in her voice despite her best efforts to hide it. “I know, I’m sorry, I was just making sure we have everything we need. I’m here now.” He stood there for four minutes, rocking slightly to try and comfort her, as he did, tears pricked his eyes, knowing he should have had this moment with Emma twenty five years earlier. He had a silent conversation with his wife, she confirmed that Emma had been acting like this while he was busy ordering furniture, or a mix of this and angry Emma. 

Eventually Emma’s hold on David loosened and the family began to walk once again through the store. Emma was exhausted but needed to stay awake, alert, at least until her family were home where she would know where they were and that they would not be leaving her side. 

Eventually she made it through the fatigue and had energy again David had stopped walking and when Emma looked he was looking at electronics, normally she didn’t mind this sort of thing, in fact she rather liked tech things, especially when she would manage to find it in this eighties style town. But now it seemed so boring, she wiggled in his arms and was relieved when he didn’t ask her to expand on what she wanted, instead he placed her down. 

Emma wandered around the tech island, there were some brightly coloured headphones which caught her eye but otherwise it was all particularly unappealing. She made it back to David’s side and stood beside him, she didn’t miss the fact that he checked on her every so often but he was mostly distracted, and Snow had wandered off somewhere with the cart. She was about to let out a whine that she was bored but was cut off before she could start, she had noticed a tunnel of bright white. 

Okay it was an aisle full of colour which caught her attention, but that was practically the same thing. It was, or at least seemed to be, one of the few aisles in the entire store she hadn’t been dragged down. They had no need for it.  _ She _ had no need for it. She reminded herself as she stalked from David’s side down the aisle, David was still in view so she allowed herself to stay where she was, in the technicolour aisle full of toys. 

She had never had many toys as a child, and it was rare to have brand new toys, so rare she wasn’t sure she was even sure she could remember having new toys in her life. There seemed to be even more now than there had been when she was a child, both new technological ones and more traditional toys like action figures and teddies. She found herself staring at a set of corduroy coloured dinosaurs, she didn’t know why, before she knew it she was holding her hand out to feel if they were as soft as they looked. 

* * *

David had been looking at a child’s tablet, he wanted Emma to be able to still contact people she loved and cared about but he knew that it wouldn’t be easy for her to do on her usual cellphone, it would be too hard for her and it would frustrate her, and David hated to see her upset. He looked down yet again to check on her, he was waiting for her to give in and be held again, he had only just looked down, it had been one minute, Emma was gone. 

He tried not to let himself over react, she would be there, of course she would be. He placed the box he had picked up back down and walked around the other side of the island. No Emma. Shelves of dvds were close by, but also Emma-less. There was no sign of her wandering bored by the cables or looking at the headphones. There was no Emma. 

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit; was all he could think as he ran his hand through his hair. He could feel his eyes darting around the place, he wasn’t sure he was breathing, he wasn’t sure he wanted to breathe, not until he found her. A logical part of his brain took over, it told him to start at the ends of the closest aisles, as the aisles ran from where he was at the front of the store all the way to the back it would be the quickest and easiest way to find her. 

He finally sucked in a breath as he reached the fourth aisle, not too far from where he was standing was a tiny three year old, with shoulder length blonde curls, and dressed in all pink and purple. He ran and was by her side by the time she even noticed him, he didn’t give her a chance to do or say anything before he pulled her into his arms and held her as tight as he could without hurting her. 

“Erm, David?” Emma said after what felt like an eternity. She had been embarrassed when David had found her not just in the toy aisle but staring at toys, but then he had taken her into his arms, and now she still was. And she wasn’t exactly sure why. 

David was only just starting to breathe again but had to fight with himself to let her out of his arms, he placed her back onto the ground and squatted in front of her. “Emma what the,  _ what  _ were you doing wandering off? Anything could have happened to you? Why did you…?” He shook his head in disbelief, but he could see Emma’s face and knew it was bordering on fear. Not at him, or at least he didn’t think, but he knew he had to be careful. “Emma when I looked down and didn’t see you it really worried me. We, your mother and I, need to know where you are at all times. The town is fairly safe but we still have people who would try to take advantage of this, who could try and take you or… We  _ need _ to know, okay?” 

Emma bit her lip so hard that it was nearly bleeding but David’s thumb sweeped under the skin just below her bottom lip, a signal for her to stop biting before she hurt herself. She nodded her head. 

David took her in for a minute before he nodded and he gave her a smile, he felt bad at chastising her, not because up until a day ago she was nearly his age, but because she looked so ashamed. “So, what were you looking at, Sunshine?” He glanced at the shelf of soft toys Emma had been touching, purple long necked dinosaurs. He couldn’t help but smile. 

Emma gave an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders. “N’thin’.” 

David rolled his eyes in such an exaggerated way that even Emma wouldn’t be able to interpret it as anything but playful. “You know, I slept with a teddy bear until I was nearly twelve, and even after then I kept it safe, it was important to me, it was one of the few presents my mom could ever give me, she knitted it herself.”

“Why’d she knit it herself?” 

“Huh? Oh, why didn’t she buy it?” She nodded. “Well, we had very little money but we had a herd of sheep, so she used their wool to knit and stuff a bear for me.” He plucked one of the dinosaurs from the shelf with his usual cheery smile. “I bet my mom wishes she could have made something like this though.” 

Emma had been smiling through his story but eventually faltered when she realised what David was hinting- that the dinosaur was coming with them. “I don’t need that.”

“It’s okay to have things that you just want- not only what you need.” 

“No I mean, I’m not some little kid, I don’t need it.” If she had been having this conversation earlier her words would have been full of fire, but she had finally hit the part of being overtired which meant she was now exhausted once again. So instead of sounding angry her words came out as a pure whine. 

David gave her a pitying smile. “It’s okay, Em. Do it for me? It’s the first time I’ve been able to buy you things that you’re actually going to see.” He knew that it was a low blow, that he was playing on their would be past, but he had also seen the childish want on her face as he had run over to her, if she weren’t so stubborn she would accept it without having to fight, but she was stubborn, so it had to be this way. 

“I guess.” Emma relented without further protest, her eyes still on the dinosaur teddy, she didn’t want to protest too much in case David sided with her. He rewarded her with a smile and despite her best efforts she couldn’t help but smile back. The smile was broken by a yawn and David lifted her up into his arms again. She led her head against his shoulder, she didn’t really want to (or at least that was what she was telling herself), but she was much too tired to fight it. 

David shared a hushed conversation with Snow about what just happened when he saw her searching the tech section for them. He was glad that Emma was too tired to be inquisitive or to even look at the cart with the items Snow had added, some were simple toiletries, some were younger items which Emma might never need but she thought were best to have in stock just in case. He added the dinosaur and the kiddies tablet to the cart then followed Snow to the checkout. 

* * *

Emma stayed in David’s arms as they stood in line at the checkout, as their things were packed up by the bag boy, and as they made it outside to Snow’s station wagon, she let out a tiny protest when she was passed from David to Snow, and she frowned as Snow strapped her into the new carseat, the purple one, but she was too tired to keep it on her face for too long. She let out another large yawn. 

“Why don’t you take a little nap, sweetie?”

“‘m not a little kid,” Emma’s words were slurred with impending sleep, and her eyes fell shut, “I don’t need naps.” 

Snow couldn’t help but laugh as Emma fell asleep straight away. She stayed watching Emma as she slept, she was waiting for David to pack up the trunk of the car as he was being extra protective, and for once she was happy to take him up on his offer, it finally gave her the opportunity to just watch her daughter. 

* * *

  
  


When they got back to the loft Emma was sound asleep, David had insisted on carrying her up the stairs but as soon as they were inside of the loft Snow took her baby back. David pressed a gentle kiss onto her head before he went downstairs to start lugging the many purchases up the three floors. 

Snow tucked her into the downstairs bed, it was much, much, too big for her, but Snow tucked her into the centre of the bed. She sat at her side, stroking her hair, leaving her only when David had unpacked the bed guards and had screwed them onto the bed, just in case Emma fell again. 

After that it was another twenty minutes for either of them to allow themselves to drag themselves away from her side. 

Together the husband and wife worked putting away utensils, clothes, essentials, and put together any of the small furniture items, the bigger ones would be arriving over the next couple of days. 

When it was finally done they both collapsed onto the couch with coffee and tea for their well deserved break. 

“I was thinking.” David began looking slowly around the downstairs of the loft, they had already set up the unborn baby’s downstairs crib along with some unboxed furniture, along with most of Emma’s new things, the already small loft looked suddenly impossibly small. “Maybe it would be a good idea if we looked at getting a new place, a bigger one, a house. I know I was the reason we stayed last time because I wasn’t ready to give up on our old home, but this place isn’t going to be big enough.” He spoke carefully and watched Snow’s face as she looked across the loft. There was something ever so slightly sad on the face. 

“I know.”

“You do?”

Snow couldn’t help but laugh at his surprise. “Of course I do, even before Emma changed this place was too small, I was going to bring it up but I didn’t want to give her an excuse to leave us.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“I guess I expected more of a fight, I mean this has been your home for nearly twenty nine years.”

Snow took his hands in her own. “David it was a place literally designed because Regina hated me. I love it because of the memories and because this is always going to be our family’s first home, our baby’s, but it’s not a proper home. This is all Mary Margaret, we need to find one which will be  _ all _ of our home. Preferably not one which is up three stories without an elevator.” 

“I’ll second that.” David let out a loud groan and rubbed the back of his neck to bring attention to his aching muscles. “I’m starting to think I’m not that young anymore.” 

“Aw, it’s cute that you’re only  _ just _ starting to think that,” She giggled as she cuddled close to him, her hand ran through his dirty blonde hair which had curled thanks to all of the effort, “soon you’ll be a silver fox. Old man.”

David pretended to look offended, dug his fingers into her ribs to get her to laugh, then levelled her with a look. “You know you’re a few months older than me, right?” 

“And?” She challenged raising one eyebrow, there was a daring glint in her green eyes and in the curve of her lips.

“And nothing my love.” David shot her his trademark smile before leaning in to kiss her. They would make the most of the brief quiet. 

**Author's Note:**

> I read in a fic once the idea where Snow and Thomas are cousins as the royal families of the EF are all family like europe, and i vibe with that shit, so yeah


End file.
